The Mother Teresa of Calcutta Center (MTC) is a non-profit organization established and directed by the Missionaries of Charity, the religious family founded by Saint Teresa of Calcutta, to be a unique and authoritative source of information on Mother Teresa. Its aim is to promote genuine devotion to Mother Teresa and authentic knowledge of her life, work, holiness, spirituality, and message and also to safeguard her words and image from misuse or abuse.

Through its activities, the Center aims to encourage people’s growth in their knowledge, love, and service of God, particularly of Jesus in His presence among us in the Eucharist and in the poor.

WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE BY THOSE SEEKING PERMISSION TO USE MOTHER TERESA'S WORDS, IMAGE, VOICE, AND/OR NAME?♦ FAQ>>>

Those seeking permission to use Mother Teresa’s words, image, voice and/or name should contact the nearest Center (see below). All such permissions are processed by the Center, in the name of the Missionaries of Charity, as the rightful intellectual property owner of Mother Teresa’s entire estate, including her name, words, voice and image. In general, permission requests need to be made formally in writing and 6-8 weeks allowed for a response.

WHAT IS THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE MOTHER TERESA CENTER AND THE OFFICE OF THE POSTULATION OF MOTHER TERESA?♦ FAQ>>>

The idea of founding the Mother Teresa Center was first proposed by the Office of the Postulation of Mother Teresa in 2002 as a continuation and further development of work begun by that office. The Postulation Office is responsible for bringing to completion the process of canonization for Mother Teresa, for authenticating and distributing her relics, and for fostering devotion to her. Its official website www.motherteresa.org has information about relics of Saint Teresa, along with pages about her Beatification, and her Canonization.

During her lifetime, Mother Teresa forbade the use of her name for fundraising of any kind. Likewise, after her death Mother Teresa’s name, work or relics may NOT be associated with fundraising in support of the Missionaries of Charity, the MTC, the Postulation or on behalf of any other organization. We would appreciate being notified of any such misuses of her name.

God’s love shines brightly through the life, holiness and spirituality of Mother Teresa. The mission of the MTC, to help the light of this love continue to shine, is symbolized in its logo:

The burning candle at the foot of the Cross represents Mother Teresa - standing with Our Lady - called by Jesus to quench His thirst for love and souls by remaining at the foot of the “calvaries” of today’s world lived in the person of the poor, the sick, the lonely and rejected.

The flame represents the ardent love in Mother Teresa’s “yes” to Jesus and his call, her wholehearted and joyful response to Jesus’ invitation to radiate His light to all who suffer in the darkness of loneliness and pain.

The wavy blue border from Mother Teresa’s well-known sari - in motion, as it were - represents the fruit of Mother Teresa’s “yes”: The Missionaries of Charity. Like their foundress, they are to go in haste as “carriers of God’s love,” putting love into living action by caring for the poorest of the poor.

The heart, enclosing the flame and linked to the Cross, represents Mother Teresa’s heart united to the Heart of Christ Crucified and sharing profoundly in His Passion, especially through her life of sacrifice and her own interior darkness.

The Cross has the most prominent place in the background, as the mystery of God’s love in Christ Crucified was at the center of Mother Teresa’s life, message, and spirituality.

Yet the Cross, as depicted, is not complete, indicating that each of us is invited to encounter the mystery of love expressed by Jesus’ words on the Cross: “I thirst”. Every one of us is infinitely loved by God in Jesus and once we have experienced this thirsting love, we are called, after the example of Mother Teresa, to carry His love to others, and so be His light “wherever we go...”